On October 1st, 700 people were detained and arrested by New York City Police when a march from Occupy Wall Street attempted to cross rooklyn bridge. Protesters allege that police allowed them to take the bridge, before cutting them off at either end and not allowing them to leave.

Five of those people have launched a class action lawsuit over the police acton. Lawyer Karl Messineo is representing the five and explains how the lawsuit came about, the precendent it is helping set, adn the role of lawyers in protest movements. Messineo represented Washington, DC protesters in a case which resulted in the city baning the use of kettling in their area.